Hell-Gate of The Alps (or Nice Alps! Where's The Evil?)
by GoldenAerie
Summary: Sam and Dean are called abroad to help deal with an evil sorcerer who is hell-bent on opening a gateway to hell. They are joined by Castiel and the occultist who called them in. Rated M for violence and language, but maybe a little something else later on with Dean/OC. Review!
1. Chapter 1 - All Aboard!

**A/N:** This is my first Supernatural fanfic, so I hope you like it. I'll post every Friday until I get the story finished. Leave me a comment!

* * *

"All I'm saying is that we" Dean said emphatically. He switched to a softer voice as a woman passed by the brothers. "-We don't even know who this person is. We could be walking right to our deaths."

"Dean" Sam began with a sigh. "The information came through a reliable channel. Besides, we're always faced with the possibility of death."

"Not outside of the country!" Dean replied.

The two brothers shifted on the bench as they waited for the train. They each had old duffle bags and easily fit in with the younger travelers. People milled about the Gare de Lyon with suitcases and briefcases, talking on mobiles, some were towing piles of bags on trolleys, trolling the shops while they waited, and then there were those coming and going. It was vastly different than anything they were used to.

"How much time do we have?" Dean asked.

Sam checked his watch. "Like...30 minutes or so."

"I'm going to go look around. I'll be right back" Dean replied. He was antsy. As far as he was concerned Paris was too crowded and just _not his thing_. Dean grabbed his bag and started wandering around. He passed a Starbucks and rolled his eyes. Was there anywhere Starbucks had not infested? He liked coffee, but there was something about how...corporate...Starbucks was that turned him off. Just beyond Starbucks was the Jazz Cafe. Dean decided that he could definitely eat. He checked out the posted menu and found his heart flutter when he came to the 'mob burger'. "Maybe Paris isn't so bad after all."

Sam watched the train pull in and wondered where Dean had gone. His watch told him that it had been 29 minutes. After a moment, the doors hissed and people exited the train. He had been going through a travel guide, but now shoved it into his bag. He nearly jumped when he felt someone hit his shoulder.

"I just had an amazing burger" Dean said dropping his bag next to Sam. "It came with this dried beef and slices of-"

"You know there's food on the train, right?" Sam asked. A mechanical voice invited the passengers to board the train. Sam and Dean grabbed their things and headed for coach 6, seats 65 and 66. They slowly made their way down the train aisle, waiting for people to stow bags and move at a snail pace. When they finally took their seats, they were equally relieved not to be hassled.

"Not a lot of leg room" Dean grumbled. A table separated seats 66 and 65 from seats 31 and 32. Sam shrugged out of his jacket and stuffed it under his seat with his bag. The brothers waited while the train slowly filled with passengers. Sam watched two old ladies push their way past some teens and take their seats, grumbling the entire time in French. He smiled.

A messenger bag plopped into the seat across from Sam; both brothers glanced at the owner. "Bonne apres-midi."

"What?" Dean asked.

"Uh...bon jour" Sam replied. The woman stood in the aisle with headphones hanging from around her neck. She was short and her black hair was held in place with a leather slide and stick. The brothers watched as she took off her black peacoat. Her music player was tucked into a pocket in her oversized cardigan. She adjusted her things and took up both seats across from the brothers, sitting sideways.

"I'm Holly" The woman said.

"You're American" Sam said with a smile. "I'm Sam, this is Dean."

"Nice to meet you" The woman replied. The train's mechanical voice came over the intercom, announcing that the train would be leaving the station momentarily. Holly searched through her bag, which she had tucked under her seat. As soon as the train began to move, she pulled out a folder and dropped it on the table that separated her from the Winchesters. She pushed it towards Sam, who curiously peeked at it.

"What's this?" Sam asked. Dean stretched his neck to glance at the folder. There was a written report, photos, and a copy of a floor plan. The photos were mostly of a man who looked like a stereotypical evil villain with a black suit, pointed goatee, and arched eyebrows. There were a few photos taken during the evening with no flash. In the distance you could see a fire and what looked like the man in a red robe with his arms raised in the air.

"Are you Phil? Phil Moore?" Dean asked. Holly raised her eyebrows and smirked.

"Fillmore, like the president" Holly answered. There was an awkward silence as the Winchester's processed the situation.

"We were expecting a guy" Sam remarked. He turned one of the nighttime ritual photos around. He had decided that it was worth his time to ask a few questions, especially since they were stuck on a train in the middle of Europe. "What sort of ritual is this guy doing?"

"That is a Swiss man named Leon Saxer" Holly told them. "He was trying out an old spell that **totally** did not work."

"How do you know what this guy was doing?" Dean asked leaning forward. Both of his hands were on the table. His brow had a slight wrinkle to it, as he tried to decide the fate of the woman across from them.

Holly turned in her seat so she was facing Dean. "I've been tracking this guy for the last 15 months. He's a total dick. As far as I can tell-"

"He's trying to open a portal to Hell" Dean replied. "We got that part when we were told about your case."

"He doesn't just want to open a portal" Holly said. "He wants an unlockable revolving doorway for himself."

"Does he know who you are?" Sam asked. Holly laughed.

"Of course he does" Holly said. "I almost took him out early on, but he's increased his security. He has demons working for him and hired guns."

"So why's a cute little thing like you meddling with a guy like this?" Dean asked. Holly rested her chin in her hand as she leaned on the table.

"Wow, not afraid to be politically incorrect. Refreshing" Holly said. She glanced around and waited for people to avert their gaze. She pulled a silver snake ring off of her middle finger and put it on the table. She motioned with her hand in a particular way and whispered something. The snake unwound itself and slithered around for a moment before curling back up into a ring. "One might say that I'm a sorcerer."

Holly slipped the ring back onto her finger and smiled at the brothers.

"You're a witch" Dean stated. Holly pursed her lips and tilted her head.

"No. There's a difference between witches and sorcerers" Holly replied. "On the outside it might all look the same, but many sorcerers work the kabal or Enochian magic or other _high magic_. It's learned knowledge. Witches tend to have some natural abilities before they start learning anything and it's usually a grab for more power."

"Is Leon Saxer a sorcerer as well?" Sam asked.

"He is, but like I said" Holly replied. "He's a total asshole. Have you two ever heard of a demon big-wig named Andras?"

"I don't know. It sounds familiar though" Sam replied. Holly looked at Dean, who was eyeing a woman with a food trolly.

"I suppose we could finish the talk later" Holly said glancing behind her to see the woman. "Besides, we don't know who else is on the train with us. Loose lips and all."

The five-hour train ride was long. Sam tried a little small talk, but once Holly clammed up, she seemed to go deep into her own thoughts. Dean had taken a beer and some snacks from the food trolley, talked a little, then promptly fell asleep. They were each standoff-ish in their own way.

* * *

As the train pulled into Bern, Switzerland, Holly checked her phone and turned her music off. Sam finished the page of the novel he was reading, then bookmarked his spot.

"I have everything ready for you two" Holly stated. She put her phone down and started getting her things ready.

"Dean" Sam snapped. Dean woke up as if he had been deeply asleep. He muttered something in a grumbling voice.

"I hope you don't mind rooming with me" Holly said. "I rented a big place for the week."

"I'm sure it will be just fine" Sam said graciously. "We're used to dingy motel rooms."

"It's not one of those backpacking hostels is it?" Dean asked with a grimace. Holly smirked and shook her head 'no'.

"Dean!" Sam snapped. "Sorry. He's kind of a dick."

"Hey!" Dean petered. He rolled his eyes. The train began to slow as it came into the station. It wasn't long before they disembarked the train and made their way towards the exit. The Winchesters followed Holly around the block towards a massive parking garage.

"Hey Holly" Sam said as they entered the structure. "What's your last name?"

"Ween" Holly replied. The Winchesters glanced at each other.

"Holly Ween?" Dean repeated. There was a silent pause before Holly gave a loud guffaw.

"I've been waiting to say that to someone!" She chuckled. "Come on, I'm on level 2. Bennett. My name is Holly Bennett."

The drive out of Bern, out to a mountain village called Gryffburg, took just over an hour. The village was home to about 3000 people, mostly farmers. It was home to an old abbey from the 14th century that still held Sunday mass, four breweries, and a company that made it's unique hard cheese simply called Gryffburg. The town center had an old fountain, some shopping, some restaurants, and fronts for the breweries. Holly drove through the town so her passengers could see where they would be staying.

"What's going on around here?" Dean asked as they passed a few people hanging up a huge banner across the main street.

"It's a harvest festival that starts tomorrow" Holly replied. "This place isn't super big, but I'm told that they really like their festivals."

They continued to on through town and turned on a road that started going up a hill. Holly's rented blue car turned onto a dirt driveway and pulled up to a small chalet. It was a 2-story house with a small second story balcony facing the driveway and a rock-sided chimney on the side.

"You rented this?" Dean asked getting out of the car with his duffle bag.

"Sure did" Holly replied. "I've been here for about two weeks."

"Do you smell that?" Sam asked. Dean sniffed the air. "It just smells...fresh...crisp."

"Let me show you inside, Fresh and Crispy" Holly said leading them to the front door. Dean chuckled. Holly held the door open for them and flipped on the lights to the main living room. "This is home for now."

"Nice" Dean said looking around at the open space. The main floor was the living room, a half bathroom, the kitchen, pantry, and a dining room. Heavy wood stairs lead up to a second floor with part of a banister overlooking the living room. The living room seemed pretty bare with a television mounted over the fireplace mantle and empty shelves.

"Bedrooms are upstairs" Holly said. She led the way and opened up the doors to two bedrooms. "I have my things in the other bedroom. Bathroom is over there." Holly pointed to the small open door near the top of the stairs. "There's a linen closet in the bathroom."

"This is way better than what we were expecting" Dean said before stepping into the free bedroom closest to the bathroom. Holly checked her watch and took a deep breath.

"You really don't mind us bunking here with you?" Sam asked. Holly shook her head 'no'.

"It might be good for me to have some real people around" Holly replied. She gestured towards Sam's room. "Go get settled. I'm going to put my things down and take a few minutes for myself."

* * *

Holly couldn't wait to get into her room. She shut the door behind her and took a deep breath of relief. She let her bag drop to the floor next to the dresser.

"Took you long enough" A low male voice grumbled.

"I don't control the trains" Holly said. She pulled her coat off and tossed it onto the bed. Holly reached up and pulled the leather slide and stick from her hair, letting her wavy black hair fall about her back.

"They came with you right? They showed?" The male voice asked.

"Yes. Sam and Dean" Holly replied. She looked over at the bear skull that rested on the dresser. The eyes were lit up like two little fairy lights. "You're sure they're going to be able to help with Saxer?"

"They're supposed to be the best. My contacts from the realms tell me wild stories about both brothers" The voice said from the skull. Holly slid to the floor and pulled out a wooden box out from under the bed. She opened it, revealing a case of various weaponry. "I heard that they are both on friendly terms with some angels and the king of Hell. Who does that?"

"I don't know." Holly snagged her three favorite knives and started to hide them on herself. One in the boot, one clipped to her pants, and the small one in her pocket.

Knock, knock. Holly's breath caught in her throat and she quickly shut her case, shoving it under her bed. She called out "Yes?"

"You talking to someone in there?" Dean asked. Holly stood up and reached for a pouch that was on top of the dresser.

"Just give me a minute or two, okay?" Holly called out. She pulled two earrings out, each one was a mouse skull glued to an earring post. She shoved them into her ears.

"Right" Dean said with evident skepticism in his voice. Holly heard him move away from her door.

"Get in. I'll make introductions downstairs" Holly hissed towards the skull. The two glowing orbs in the eye sockets flew out of the bear skull and rested in one of the earrings.

"Most exciting" The voice said in her ear.

* * *

Dean entered the room he wanted to claim. It was close to the bathroom and across from Holly. She wasn't bad on the eyes, but she gave off some weird vibes that he wasn't totally comfortable with. In fact, he really wasn't super comfortable with the situation. He had anxiously flown because the tickets had been purchased and not by him. That meant no weapons. That alone was enough to make him edgy.

He pulled out his phone and sent a text message: _We're in Gryffburg, Switzerland with no weapons._ He sent it. A return message was sent back: _Dean, I will bring you and Sam your weapons. Five minutes left of this episode of 'Twin Peaks'. Be there shortly._

"Thanks, Cas" Dean muttered to himself. He sat on the bed and his brow creased. He leaned back, feeling total comfort. "Oh shit, yeah. Complete comfort."

He begrudgingly got up and snatched up his bag. He tossed it onto the dresser and pulled out a few things, tucking clothing into one drawer and leaving his personal items out on the dresser. While he was straightening his things, he heard voices from across the hall. Dean stopped what he was doing and moved closer to his door to listen. There was a distinct deep male voice.

"I knew something was up" Dean whispered to himself. He looked around and sighed. He had no weapons. Nothing in the room would work. His lip curled in reaction to his weapon-less situation. _Just deal with it_ , he told himself. He crossed the hall and knocked on Holly's door. "You talking to someone in there?"

It got quiet. He could hear her moving around. "Just give me a minute or two, okay?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Right."

The woman was crazy. For a brief second, he considered busting her door down to see what was going on, but decided to check on Sam instead.

"Sam" Dean called out when he stepped over to Sam's shut door.

"Come in" Sam said. Dean walked in and found Sam leaning back on his bed, obviously liking the mattress. "Did you try your mattress?"

"Dude, I'm going to sleep like a goddamn baby" Dean replied.

"We need beds like these" Sam told him. Dean shut Sam's door. Sam pushed himself up to his elbows. "What is it?"

"I heard a voice coming from her room, man" Dean said in a hushed voice. "Like deep and male."

"Think she has someone in there with her?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, but I think we're going to get some answers" Dean replied. Sam sat upright while Dean pulled his phone out to check for messages. "I sent Cas a text. He should be here soon." They heard a creak from the stairs and Dean peeked out the door. "Guess she's heading downstairs."

"We should go downstairs too" Sam said. He stood up and straightened his flannel shirt. Dean smirked.

"You have a thing for the sorceress, Sammy?" Dean asked.

Sam snorted and shook his head before answering. "No. I just think she's a nice person."

"I bet she can put some voodoo in your hoodoo" Dean teased. He opened the door and let Sam leave first.

"Jerk" Sam said as he passed his brother.

"Bitch" Dean replied.

* * *

The Winchesters headed downstairs and found Holly in the kitchen. Her black wavy hair hung down to the middle of her back and she looked fairly comfortable moving around the kitchen. For being a rustic Swiss chalet, the kitchen was surprisingly modern in brushed steel, white walls, and appliances and trimmings in red and black. The dividing stretch of counter, between the kitchen and the dining room, was home to three kitchen bar stools on the dining side. Dean and Sam both claimed a stool and watched as Holly pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge. She set the bottle on the counter between the men, along with a corkscrew, before pulling out wine glasses and a plate-sized tin with 'spitzbuben himbeere' written across it.

Dean uncorked the wine. "Day drinker, huh?" Holly glanced over at him. "Hey, I'm not judging."

"It's almost 4pm" Holly replied. From here, they could see that she had on skull earrings. "It's probably just a little jet-lag if you're out of sorts."

"He's all brains" The voice said in Holly's ear. She tried to stifle her chuckle and opened the tin of raspberry jam cookies.

"Something funny?" Dean asked. He started filling the glasses. Holly leaned on the kitchen-side of the counter and pushed the tin between them all.

Holly heard the voice about to say something. "Gus! Quiet." She looked at the two men at the counter. Dean had his glass almost to his lips and Sam was in the middle of biting into a cookie. "Sorry. Look, I need to introduce you to someone." She went over to a cabinet and pulled out an animal skull that was about the size of her hand. She set it on the counter. "Gus, come introduce yourself."

The two glowing orbs flew from her earring and into the skull on the counter. "Greetings, Winchesters."

"Whaaaat?" Dean drawled. "What is that?"

"Who" Holly corrected. "This is Augustus. He is my daimon."

"A what?" Dean asked moving to stand up from his stool. Sam's face eased into one of complete interest.

"A daimon" Sam said. "Dean, it's cool. A daimon, like the Greek daimon?"

"Exactly" Holly said with a smile. "Gus has been my friend and guide for the last year and a half."

"Someone is-" Gus said.

"Dean, I have your things" Castiel interrupted. He was standing immediately beside Dean, almost shoulder to shoulder, with a bag in his hand. Dean jumped and made a startled sound of surprise. Holly choked on her wine. Castiel set the bag down as she coughed and sputtered. "Hello."

"Angel" Gus said in an amused tone. "Holly, we didn't angel-proof the chalet."

"I didn't-" Holly coughed and cleared her throat. "I didn't think we would need to."

Castiel moved to stand between the Winchesters and leaned down to look at the skull. "I have not seen a daimon in at least a century."

"Well, we're not so popular anymore" Gus replied.

"Excuse me" Holly said looking at Dean. "Who is this guy?"

"This is Castiel" Dean said. "Cas, meet Holly. The skull is Gus."

Castiel stood upright. "Pleasure to meet you, Holly, Gus."

Holly looked almost dumbfounded for a second before finding her tongue. "Would you like some wine, Castiel?"

"That would be nice, thanks" Castiel replied. Holly retrieved a fourth wine glass and passed it to him. Dean took his spot on the stool again. Castiel poured himself a glass of wine and took a cookie. They all just let the silence surround them, basking in the awareness that they were strangers in a strange land.


	2. Chapter 2 - Swiss Chalet

**NOTE: Sorry I was a day late in posting this. I had it all ready to go, but my Friday was just crazy! Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 2. As always, I love comments.**

* * *

The silence was broken by Gus. He made a sound, as if he was clearing his throat. "Holly, are you taking me out tonight?"

"Jesus" Holly grumbled before sipping her wine. She rolled her eyes and looked anywhere but at the skull.

"Take you out?" Dean asked the skull. Holly's dismissal of Gus' request did not go unnoticed.

"I'm limited in my movement. That's part of our agreement. My housing is limited pretty much to the skulls" Gus told Dean.

"So by taking you out-?" Dean started to ask.

Holly cut him off. "He wants to ogle women."

"It's the least you could do" Gus replied. "You could have let me have better housing. Look at this angel! He has good housing."

"My vessel was willing to let me in" Castiel piped in. Holly gave the angel a look, silently telling him that he wasn't helping. She set her wine glass down and busied herself with turning the oven on and pulling a rectangular baking dish from the fridge. "Why were we called to Switzerland?"

"Evil sorcerer" Sam replied. Castiel raised his eyebrows.

"Sorcerers?" Castiel repeated.

"Yep. Holly here is a good sorcerer, but she's been tracking some dude named Leon Saxer for over a year now" Dean nutshelled. He watched Holly take the foil off the top of the dish and sprinkle a top layer of cheese over noodles. "What is that? Lasagne?"

"Just a basic lasagne, yes" Holly replied. Holly returned to her spot at the counter while the oven heated up. "He's been abducting women."

"Are the police looking into it?" Sam asked.

"He seeks out female tourists who travel by themselves. I'm not saying that the police don't care, but I don't think they suspect foul play" Holly replied. "We might be in the middle of nowhere, but that old abbey and the quaint village of Gryffburg get a lot of attention."

"What would he need women for?" Castiel asked.

"He wants to open a doorway to Hell" Holly told him. "An open, revolving door." She looked away for a moment in thought. "I don't know what he's after."

"Saxer if a foul human, but very powerful" Gus told them. "I keep telling Holly to wait for him to be in the bathroom-"

"Gus, I am not that stealthy" Holly rebuked. The oven beeped and Holly put the dish in the oven, set the timer, and went back to the counter.

"Aren't there hunters here?" Dean asked. Holly shrugged.

"If there are, I don't know them and I haven't run into any" Holly said.

"How long have you been here?" Castiel asked. He reached for another cookie. "These are tasty."

"Gus and I have been here for...six months?" Holly asked her daimon.

The skull shifted ever so slightly and the orbs continued to float. "Thereabouts. Just the two of us."

Castiel wandered around the kitchen, looking at the house. Dean filled up his glass and offered to fill up Holly's. He spoke when he set the bottle down. "I only know about sorcerers from movies, but I thought they always have books and junk."

"I do" Holly replied. She carried her wine glass and stepped around the counter so she could see the living room. "Come on." Sam, Dean, and Castiel followed her into the living room. The orbs of Gus floated over to Holly's earrings. Holly raised a hand and made a specific motion with her hand. "Malturu annasi kalu amaru."

"That's a lovely dialect of Akkadian" Castiel told her. The empty bookshelves slowly faded and partially full bookcases were revealed. Sam and Dean crossed the room to check it out.

"Thank you, Castiel" Holly said. "I'm glad I didn't butcher the language."

"You may call me Cas, as the others do" Castiel told her. Holly watched as Sam chose a book on Pythagorean magic.

"What is this?" He asked as he flipped through it. "Is this in Greek?"

"It is" Holly said. "It's a book on Pythagorean magic."

"Like...Pythagoras from math class? Pythagorean theorum?" Sam asked.

"One in the same" Holly replied. She sipped her wine. Dean checked out the books and found himself looking at a skull on the shelf.

"How did you learn Akkadian illusions?" Castiel asked.

"Gus" Holly said. Castiel remained standing beside her and she looked him up and down. "Could I ask you to do me a favor?"

"If it's within reason" Castiel replied.

"I have the timer set on the oven" Holly told him. "When it goes off, will you pull the lasagne out of the oven? I have to go to work."

"Work?" Dean asked. He was opening a small ornate box that was on the shelf, only to find a bunch of dead bees. "Ew."

"Yeah, work" Holly said. "How do you think I paid for your tickets?" She set her wine glass down on a side table and crossed over to the stairs. "Look, food will be ready soon. You guys are welcome to watch TV. Does anyone have a pierced ear?"

Sam pointed over to Dean. Dean's eyes widened for a brief second when he realized she was taking out a skull earring. "Wait a second-"

"Just watch Gus for the night" Holly said. Holly walked over to Dean and handed him the earring. She waited for him to put it in.

"I don't want to stay with them" Gus protested.

"Gus, get over there" Holly told him. "I'm not taking any skulls with me tonight." The grumbling daimon floated from the earring she still wore into the one now in Dean's ear. "Keep an eye on them for me, Gus."

"Can we have more cookies?" Castiel asked. "I find them more delightful than American cookies."

"Have at it" Holly replied. She left the room, heading upstairs. She was back down rather quickly, only she was dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie. She had a beanie on and looked like she might just go for a run. Her purse and coat were slung over her arm.

"What sort of job do you have?" Sam asked. He was sitting on the L-shaped sofa with a book.

"I just work part-time" Holly said. "I'll be back around midnight."

"You work short hours" Castiel stated. Holly slipped her coat on and just smiled at Castiel. Dean snickered from his spot next to the bookcase. The others looked over at him.

"This guy is a riot" Dean told them. Holly slung her purse over her shoulder and headed for the door.

"There's an extra house key in the kitchen, in the drawer with the ice cream scoop" Holly told them. "You can walk into town from here. It only takes 15 minutes to get to the town center."

"Have fun at work" Castiel said with a smile and raised hand. "I will not permit anything to go wrong while you are away."

"Thank you" Holly said before leaving. Part of her was deeply disturbed with leaving her things and Gus alone with three strangers, but Gus has asked for the situation to happen. She trusted that daimon more than she trusted anyone else in the world. "Just get to work, Holly."

* * *

Dean shoveled lasagne into his mouth, groaned, chewed, muttered something about it being "frickin' awesome", swallowed, and repeated himself. Castiel had done as asked and had removed the food from the oven. He had even turned the oven off. They had all dug in to the hot dish. Sam and Castiel were happy with a single helping, but Dean was currently working through seconds.

"Dean!" Sam said with a little disgust in his voice. Dean looked up at the other two. "C'mon man, it's just lasagne."

"This is homemade lasagne with fresh pasta, Sammy" Dean replied. He gestured to his bowl with his fork. "This is better than anything we get back home."

"She bought that pasta just for you" Gus said from the bear skull on the counter. "Holly does not usually eat pasta."

"Well she sure knows how to cook it" Dean said before going in for another bite.

"It sucks that she had to go to work" Sam said. "What does she do, Gus?"

"Performance art" Gus replied. Sam snorted at the response. "Tell me about America, boys. I've heard that you know both God and the King of Hell. Is that true?"

"Yeah, unfortunately we know both" Dean quipped.

"Dean" Castiel chided. He opened the tin of cookies and pulled one out.

"We've worked with both" Sam told Gus.

"I've been to both Heaven and Hell" Gus told them. "It was in a tourist capacity. Both were highly fascinating."

"Hell is never fascinating" Castiel said shortly. If he wasn't mistaken, the skull appeared to be grinning at him.

"I learned much from both places" Gus simply shared. The skull moved a little bit and soon it floated up so it was at eye-level.

"You can float?" Sam asked.

"Why do you think the ancients depicted daimons as skulls with wings?" Gus said. The skull turned from side to side so Gus could look at the three sitting at the counter. "Holly isn't a hunter."

"We know" Dean said. "She mentioned it."

"What sort of creatures have you dealt with?" Gus asked. Dean, Sam, and Castiel glanced at each other.

"Ghosts, demons, vamps, werewolves…" Dean began.

"Uh, yeah...wendigo, angels, archangels, princes of Hell, shapeshifters…" Sam added.

"Death" Castiel said. Gus' bear skull floated back and forth, almost as if he was pacing.

"Holly can kick some butt if she needs to" Gus told them. "But she has very little experience with creatures such as those, well...other than a few demons here and there."

"You want us to teach her?" Dean asked. "We aren't teachers, Gus."

"She needs to work with people" Gus said. "She spends most of her time by herself or with me."

"Isn't she at work?" Castiel asked.

"Yes" Gus said. He chuckled. "If you want, angel, you can pop in and visit her."

"We should do that" Dean said. "Get some beer, some pie, and tell her that this lasagne is the best thing I've ever eaten."

Gus chuckled again. "If you go out, I'm going with you. I've been cooped up all day." Gus paused briefly. "You'll see though. She works, but it's not like she's socially social. Performance art doesn't lend itself to the constant chatter one might get if they were a bartender or something."

"She won't get mad if we pop in to see her when she's working, will she?" Sam asked.

"We can just mix with the crowd" Gus said. He set the skull down on the counter. "She'll be so surprised!"

* * *

Kiss blared over the speakers in the noisy bar when the Winchesters and Castiel entered. For a small Swiss town, the bar was moderately busy mostly with men. Dean found an empty table in the back and sat down. Castiel and Sam sat down and looked around. The bar was a dive. On a stage there were three dancers in skimpy outfits. They each had a pole and amiable dancing area.

"Nice" Dean said to the others. "I didn't think we'd be hearing Kiss until we were back home."

"At least they're not stripping" Sam muttered. The dancers appeared to simply be dancers. A waitress came by the table and Sam ordered them pints of beer.

Castiel leaned over to Sam and spoke softly. "Sam, over there." The dark-haired dancer on the far side of the stage was swinging around her pole in a biker outfit. She had a few tattoos on her arms and one on her shoulder blade. "Isn't that Holly?"

"Oh my god" Sam said with his mouth open. He looked over at his brother, who was watching a blonde in a red fringe cowgirl outfit. Castiel watched Holly do some pole work.

"I have been told that pole dancing isn't easy" Castiel said. The waitress was quick to bring them their beers.

"I totally agree" Dean said with a laugh. Sam and Castiel looked over at him. "Yeah, redheads are good too."

"Is he talking to Gus?" Sam asked.

"I believe so" Castiel said. Sam watched as men left money on the stage for the dancers. Part time, he figured, could make more than enough to get by if you were frugal.

"Hey" Dean said reaching for his beer. "So where's Holly?"

"She's over there" Castiel said pointing towards the far dancer. Dean looked out at the crowd.

"Where?" Dean asked. "Is she waiting tables? I mean, that's cool."

"Uh, Dean-" Sam started.

"She's the dancing biker" Castiel informed him. "She's quite good. Look at that." Holly was hanging onto the pole with her feet only. "That takes some real talent."

Dean made a noise and didn't even care about the little bit of foam left on his upper lip from his beer. He looked away when the song changed. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Holy crap."

"Should we say hi?" Castiel asked.

"No" Sam spat out before Castiel could get up from his chair. "I don't know if that would be a good idea."

"Gus says that it wouldn't" Dean said. He drank beer and tried to shrug off his interest in the dancers. "Maybe we should finish our beer and go find some pie."

"I do feel like this is an invasion of Holly's privacy" Castiel said. He drank a quarter of his beer.

"Her privacy? She's out there in barely more than a bikini" Dean said. Dean turned his head slightly. "No, no. I do respect her privacy. I'm just saying that she doesn't seem to mind dancing in front of a crowd of guys, so I don't think she would really care if we happen to be watching." He looked at the other two, broke into a smile, and pointed to the skull earring. "Gus."

"Let's just finish our beers and go find Dean some friggin' pie" Sam said.

* * *

By the time midnight rolled around, Sam was upstairs in bed while Dean and Castiel were on the couch watching 'The Burbs'. There were two empty beer bottles on the side table closest to Dean and Castiel had a half-finished glass of water on the coffee table. The bear skull rested on the coffee table.

"These neighbors are completely paranoid" Castiel stated. He had his trenchcoat off, his tie loosened, and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was currently holding a pillow in his lap.

"It's kind of the point" Dean replied. The chalet door open and Holly came in as bundled up as when she left. She locked the door behind her, hung up her coat, and stepped into the living room. "Hey, Holly!"

"Good evening" Holly said. "'The Burbs', huh? I haven't seen this in years."

"Want to join us?" Dean asked.

"Maybe in a bit. I need a shower" Holly replied. She gestured to the skull. "How was Gus tonight?"

"Oh, yeah, he's cool" Dean said. "We stepped out to get some pie and beer. He showed us around. Your lasagne, by the way, was fantastic!"

"You're also quite the dancer" Castiel told her. Holly's expression was a mix of surprise with a slight show of horror and curiosity.

"You...stopped by?" Holly asked. Gus turned to her.

"On our way to getting pie and beer" Castiel said.

"I'm...I'm going to go take a shower" Holly said. She walked over to the stairs and stopped. "Castiel? I'm sorry I didn't think about it before. There are only three bedrooms. You can take my room if you would like. I don't mind the couch."

"I don't require much in the way of sleep" Castiel told her. Holly just nodded and went upstairs. Castiel looked over at Dean, who watched Holly walk up the stairs. "You like her?"

"I don't know about that. I don't mind looking" Dean said with a smirk. "Know what I mean?"

"You mean that you find her pleasing to look at, but you aren't-" Castiel said.

"Yeah, yeah" Dean said waving his friend quiet. They turned back to the film and let the comedy of Tom Hanks entertain them. For the next fifteen minutes, Dean kept an ear tuned to the noise from upstairs; the doors opening and closing, the water rushing through the pipes indicating a shower, etc. When the water turned off, Dean stood up with his empty bottles. "I'm going to toss these. Need anything?"

"I'm good" Castiel told him. Dean heard footsteps on the landing and looked up. Holly was in pajamas and a robe with her hair tied up.

"Coming down?" Dean asked. Holly started descending the stairs instead of answering. "Want anything from the kitchen?"

"Maybe" Holly said. "What did you pick up?"

"Beer" Dean replied. Holly crossed the room, heading for the kitchen. "Pie."

"I love pie. What type?" Holly asked. She stood next to the kitchen counter while Dean threw his bottles away.

"Apple. It seemed to be pretty popular around here" Dean said. A smile was etched into his face as he pulled the pie from the fridge and cut her a slice. He handed her the slice on a plate and cut another slice for himself. He moved to stand near her at the counter. "It's pretty good."

Holly took a forkful and ate it. "It is." She loaded her fork with more pie. "Mind if I watch the rest of 'The Burbs' with you?"

"It's your place, doll-face" Dean replied. Holly sighed and shook her head.

"Up until now, you were a perfect gentleman, Dean" Holly said before turning and going into the living room. She took a seat on the far side of Castiel and let Dean take his previous place on the couch.

"Cas, are you sure that you don't want to take my bed?" Holly asked. "I feel bad if you end up sleeping on the couch." Holly tucked a foot under her as she ate her pie. "I don't sleep much."

"He won't sleep with you, sister" Dean said saucily. Holly looked around Castiel and narrowed her eyes at Dean.

"Dean" Castiel said. "You're being rude to our hostess."

"It's fine, Cas" Holly said.

"You two are also ruining the movie" Castiel complained. "It's hard to hear with you two snapping at each other."

Dean shook his head and ate his pie in four large bites. He went into the kitchen to put his plate in the sink, then passed through the living room, still chewing. He muttered about needing beauty sleep and not to disturb him unless absolutely necessary.

Tom Hanks pulled his two friends into his fictional movie-set study for a "little talk". Holly knew how it all panned out. If she focused, she could remember the tiniest details about most of her life and that included movie plots that she had seen. It amused her when Castiel chuckled after the "get your balls out of your wife's purse" line and when Tom Hanks pulled a toupee from his shorts.

It didn't take long for 'The Burbs' to finish. When it did, Holly took her plate to the kitchen and started the electric kettle. She went back into the living room and found Castiel browsing through television channels. The powerful being that looked like a mortal man was fascinating.

"Can I ask you a question?" Holly asked from across the room.

"Of course" Castiel replied still browsing through channels.

"Why are you-no...how-" Holly sputtered. She cleared her throat and started again. This time Castiel had turned to look at her. "You're with those two upstairs. How did that happen? Did they summon you? Are you in debt to them? Did you just, one day, decide to hang out with two hunters?"

"That is a very long story" Castiel replied. "I thought you would be familiar with my kind since you are a sorcerer."

"I have only read about angels" Holly said. "You can't cast a stone at my books without hitting something mentioning angels."

"You lack faith in angels" Castiel stated. Holly leaned against the jamb that divided the living room from the dining room/kitchen area. Castiel set the television remote down and stood up. Holly watched as he moved to stand behind the couch, leaning on it, keeping the distance between them. "Dean, when I first met him, lacked faith as well."

"And now you are friends" Holly said.

"No" Castiel shook his head. "Both of them are more than that. They're my family. Dean is my best friend."

Holly was quiet. She was processing Castiel's answers and her brain switched to another subject. "Did you guys finish looking around the chalet once I left?"

"We mainly just watched television and checked out your books" Castiel replied. He cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

Holly gestured for him to come with her. She walked into the kitchen and turned on a light switch to the small hall that led to a supply closet and a laundry room. The back door had a decorative glass window in a floral design. Holly unlocked it and opened the door to the night air. They stepped out onto a deck.

"You guys didn't notice the hot tub out here" Holly replied.

"A hot tub" Castiel repeated. "We did not notice it."

Holly smiled and stepped back inside. "We'll have to turn it on later. It's the best thing about this place, if you ask me."

Holly stepped into the laundry room while Castiel came inside and locked the door. She shoved something black and blue into Castiel's chest. Her kettle made a loud click and it's roaring boil died down. She headed for the kitchen, leaving Castiel to look down at the items that he was now holding. It was a large black t-shirt and large sweatpants.

"When I sent the guys plane tickets, I picked up spare clothes" Holly told him. "I can't tell you how many times I end up gross and dirty." She pulled out a box of tea bags and a mug. "You can use them. They're going to be loose, but at least you'll be comfortable."

"Thank you" Castiel replied.

"Tea?" Holly asked. She was ready to pull out another mug.

"No, thank you" Castiel said. He left the room with the clothes. Holly went about getting her tea and doing her usual nighttime things like doing any dishes, cleaning a little here and there, making sure the doors were locked, etc. When she finished in the kitchen, she went into the living room and found Castiel dozing on the couch. He had a show about safari animals on at low volume. The clothes he came in were neatly folded on the coffee table. He looked substantially more comfortable in the oversized sweatpants and the t-shirt. Holly didn't disturb him. Instead she pulled out a few books and positioned herself at a desk that faced a window. Holly pulled the shades and curtains in the living room out of sheer paranoia of being spied upon. From a desk drawer, she pulled out a worn, leather jacketed journal. She opened it to the marked spot. She opened the shallow drawer of the desk and pulled out a mechanical pencil and an ipod. In no time, she was pouring over the texts while drinking tea and listening to her music.


	3. Chapter 3 - Leon Saxer

In a large mansion nestled just on the edge of the forest that surrounded Gryffburg, Leon Saxer watched himself dress in ceremonial robes. He was a tall, thin man with dark hair and pointedly arched eyebrows that were definitely defining. He stroked his pointed goatee making sure it came to a point. He straightened his red satin robe and started buttoning it. He liked how his black suit looked with the red robe over it. _Power_ was the overall theme of his look.

There was a knock on the open door of his room. He glanced at the doorway through the mirror and saw Amelia standing there. She was dressed in a black skirt suit.

"Yes?" Leon asked.

"The men have brought the chest as you requested" Amelia told him. She was a pale redhead embodied by a demon. Leon turned to her and struck a pose. "You look most powerful, Leon."

"They say dress for the role you want in life" Leon said walking over to her. "Let's go see this chest."

Saxer's mansion was built in stained wood and painted in neutral colors with names like woodcraft and dill seed. He proudly displayed his wealth by featuring a few antiques and oil paintings that had been bought at auction. Any guests he had over, these were impressive and often left them envious. The people in Gryffburg were clueless as to his real treasures; his ancient texts, his collection of amulets and sacred objects, and his most prized possession - what the locals had called "Illah Nuftah". It was a gold cuff covered in ancient writing. It looked basic, but was said to come from God himself.

The chest was in a large, empty multipurpose room that Leon mostly used for ritual purposes. Two demon-possessed men stood guard.

"Leave us" Amelia ordered when they entered the room. The men left without a word. As soon as the guards were gone, Leon squatted before the chest and tried to open it. The lock on the chest held tightly and was heavily warded. He closed his eyes, made a sign with his hand, and whispered a chant. The lock flashed red and sent him sprawling backwards

"We must get that lock off" Leon said picking himself off the floor. Amelia looked the chest over.

"The writing looks to be Enochian, but I cannot read it" Amelia told him. "We should ask Andras to take a look."

"Andras does not want to be disturbed until we have all the pieces in place" Leon told her. He scowled at the chest. "I'll get it open."

* * *

Dawn slowly rose over the rolling Swiss hills. Farmers in Gryffburg had been up for a few hours already. The town was still mostly asleep with the occasional vehicle driving around. Sam had woken up early, but he felt good. Sleep had been comfortable, even in a new place. He went downstairs and found Castiel curled up on the couch, sound asleep. He smiled at his friend. Apparently, the angel had needed to sleep. Sam looked up and saw Holly asleep at a desk. It looked like she had been studying when she passed out.

"Hey, Holly" Sam said softly. He touched her shoulder. "You should lie down on the cou-"

Holly jolted awake, stood up, and shrieked in the blink of an eye. Her eyes were barely open when her left fist jutted out, connecting with Sam's chin. Her chair teetered on the back two legs, then fell over. She stood there for a moment, watching Sam recover. Her ipod dangled from the headphones still covering her ears.

"Jesus!" Sam cursed. He stood up and rubbed his chin. "Holly!"

"What's going on?" Castiel asked. He was suddenly between Sam and Holly. Holly looked as if she really had no idea what was going on. "Holly, are you alright?"

"Gus?" Holly called out.

"Sam, are you okay?" Castiel asked. He looked at his friend's face and determined that he wasn't badly injured.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Sam replied. "I just wasn't expecting it."

"Holly" Castiel said in a commanding voice. He placed a hand on her shoulder. It was met with Holly automatically moving to block the movement, but the effort had no strength behind it. "Sam, I think she's still partially asleep."

"Great" Sam said.

"Come with me" Castiel said softly to Holly. Castiel slipped the headphones off, handing them to Sam. He moved her over to the couch and got her to sit down. Sam righted her chair and came over to look at her. "Sleep, Holly."

Holly's body sagged on the couch a little. She was completely asleep.

"I thought we slept poorly" Sam remarked. He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm going to see if I can get some coffee started."

"She was up very late" Castiel said following Sam into the kitchen.

"How late?" Sam asked. He looked in the fridge and found a bag of beans. The kitchen was easy enough to maneuver. The grinder was next to the coffee pot.

"Around 3am I turned the television off. She was wide awake" Castiel told him. Castiel sat at the counter and watched Sam grind some of the coffee beans. The tall Winchester prepped the coffee pot, dumped in the ground coffee, and pressed a button that started the machine. "She did say that she gets little sleep."

"Next time we can let Dean wake her up" Sam replied with a smirk. They heard the squeaky step and footsteps. Dean's distinctive shuffle crossed the living room.

"Did someone shriek like two minutes ago?" Dean asked. He was in a pair of flannel pants and a t-shirt, similar to Sam.

"Yes" and "Sam got punched in the face" were said at the same time. Dean rubbed his face and yawned an "okay".

"Apparently, the dancing queen is not only a dangerous sleeper, but a heavy one" Sam told his brother. "Cas put her on the couch and we don't think she was actually awake."

"Well, I slept like a damn baby" Dean stated. "We definitely need to get the pillow-top mattresses or whatever those are. Did you sleep at all, Cas?"

"Yes" Castiel said. The brothers looked at him, expecting a longer answer. "The couch was comfortable. Holly gave me these clothes last night."

Dean chuckled and Sam started filling mugs up with coffee. They all turned when they heard footsteps. Holly stood there looking wide awake.

"Mornin', Slugger" Dean said before taking a sip of the brew. Sam pulled out a mug and passed a cup of coffee to her.

"Thank you" Holly said. She took a seat next to Castiel. Sam's jaw was slightly clenched and he gave her a sour look. "What?" She looked over at Castiel. "Did you move me to the couch last night?"

"Try five minutes ago" Sam said curtly. "Like right after you punched me in the face."

"Sorry" Holly apologized. "I don't recall that happening."

"You were still mostly asleep" Castiel said. Dean snickered and sipped his coffee. Castiel looked over at Holly. "Holly, you still look very tired."

"I'm fine" Holly said. A small skull flew into the room and dropped onto the table.

"Good morning" Gus said. "How's your chin, Sam?" Sam groused a little and refilled his mug. Gus chuckled. "It looked as if Castiel had things under control."

"I did" Castiel said with a small smile.

Gus moved so he was hovering over by Holly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Gus" Holly told him. Dean watched as the skull almost seemed to look her over, as if she was wounded.

"I suppose later is fine" Gus muttered. He turned to the others. "What are your plans for the day?"

"I'm taking them to _see the sights_ " Holly said. She stood up with her coffee. "I'm going to go get dressed. We can go into town for breakfast."

"How did she punch?" Dean asked when he was pretty sure she was upstairs.

"Hard, Dean" Sam replied.

"She seemed to be in fight-mode in her dream" Castiel replied. They looked over at Gus.

"Night terrors" Gus told them. "She sleeps very little because of them."

"Won't she go insane if she keeps that up?" Sam asked.

"We should have mentioned something about it" Gus said. "If she isn't disturbed she can sleep for maybe a solid 4 hours. After that, she's up every half hour or so." It almost sounded like Gus sighed. "I can't tell you how many skulls she's busted during a round of night terrors."

"That's got to make it tough when she has a guy over" Dean said. Sam nodded.

"She doesn't have guys over" Gus replied. Dean shrugged.

"Ok, girls...whatever" Dean said.

"No. She doesn't have people over" Gus told them. "Ever."

"Ever ever?" Dean asked. Gus focused on Dean and hovered over towards him.

"Saxon killed her friends and the boyfriend she had. He wanted a book she had" Gus told Dean. "That instigated her research into contacting...me. After assessing the situation, I joined her and we've been after him ever since."

"What made you agree to join her?" Castiel asked.

"Andras" Gus replied. "And the possibility of having a corporeal form."

Castiel stood up and leaned forward. "Andras, the great marquesse?"

"You've heard of him" Gus said moving to hover inches in front of the angel's nose. "Andras is working with Saxon. He wants to march his legions into this realm."

Castiel looked at the Winchesters with complete seriousness on his face. "This situation is more dire than you realize. Andras is not one to be taken lightly."

"Holly mentioned Andras on the train, briefly" Dean said. "There were too many people, so she got quiet about it."

"He is a leader of multiple legions of demons" Castiel told them.

"What does Saxon want?" Dean asked. He finished his coffee and sat upright with his arms across his chest.

"There's something in the bowels of Hell that he's after, but we aren't sure" Gus said.

"Something great enough to risk working with Andras" Castiel said grimly. "Why aren't the angels aware of this?"

"I've been tuning in" Gus told Castiel. "I think the angels have been busy with other things." Gus floated up and looked down at the three men. "Go with Holly. She will show you around today."

Gus headed out of the kitchen. Castiel followed. Dean looked at Sam. "Guess we're going to breakfast."

* * *

Leon Saxer poured over several old tomes in his study. He had been looking for information on the chest and ancient Enochian since the chest was brought to him. Bags had formed under his eyes and he looked a little frazzled. A shiver ran across his back as he worked on translating a text in Latin.

There was a knock on his door. Without stopping his work he simply said "I do not wish to be disturbed."

The door opened regardless to his demand. He raised a pointed eyebrow and glanced up to see Amelia enter. She had a small smile on her face. She always had it when she defied his wishes.

"I have news for you" Amelia told him. She walked over to his desk, moved an oversized book, and perched. Leon sat back, waiting for the news. "Otto and Wilhelm were in town this morning picking up pastries and they saw the most unusual thing."

"Amelia, I don't have time for stories" Leon replied. He crossed his arms and rocked a little in his padded office chair.

"A sorceress, an angel, and two hunters" Amelia said. It sounded like the start of a bad joke. Leon rubbed at his face with one hand for a moment. "Otto said that they were heading towards Wilder Bar for breakfast."

"By sorceress, you mean Holly Bennett?" Leon asked. Amelia was looking at the books on Leon's desk.

"Of course" Amelia affirmed. "She has been watching us for a while now."

"Just kill her already" Leon groaned. "I should have killed her when I had the chance."

"You need her for Andras" Amelia reminded him. She put the books down and looked Leon over. She gave him a slight pout and reached out to straighten his tie. "Look at you. Slightly rumpled from a long night of study. Want me to have some coffee sent up?"

"I'll come down to the kitchen" Leon replied. "I should take a few minutes away from these books." He stood up and marked his place. "Have Otto and Wilhelm keep an eye on Bennett and her new friends. If there's opportunity, kill the hunters. If they can handle it, have them take out the angel as well."

"I will let them know" Amelia said following him out of the study.

* * *

Wilder Bar, or the Wild Bear, was a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that was bear themed. The Winchesters, Castiel, and Holly were seated at a booth with a yellow and white lattice patterned table top and a painting of a black bear in the forest hung on the wall next to Sam's head. Sam was working on a vegetarian egg-white omelet while Dean, who was sitting next to him, worked on a waffle slathered in berries and whipped cream with a side of locally-made sausage. Castiel opted to simply have tea. Holly stuck with scrambled eggs and sauteed veggies. Dean watched a man enter Wilder Bar wearing traditional attire of lederhosen. He nudged his brother.

"Sammy look. That dude is in lederhosen" Dean said almost in disbelief.

"There's a festival starting today Dean" Sam reminded his brother. Holly's hair was up in her leather slide and stick, giving her almost a messy look. She had one skull earring in, the other ear had a small silver stud. Despite her short night hours, she didn't appear tired.

"Do you want a pair of lederhosen, Dean?" Holly asked. He gave her a look and dug into his waffle.

"How long have you been over here, Holly?" Sam asked. He gave her his best friendly face and hoped she would indulge in some small talk.

"In Europe?" Holly asked. "Just over two years or so."

"What about your family back home?" Castiel asked. Holly speared the last of her veggies.

"They're...gone" Holly said. She popped the veggies in her mouth and chewed.

"Holly" Gus said in her ear. His tone was one of warning. Her left eye squinted a little bit. She looked up to find Dean watching her. She averted her eyes to her plate of almost finished food.

"How long does a passport let you stay in a country?" Sam asked.

"Long enough" Holly replied. She took a bite of her eggs and dropped some money on the counter. "That should cover everyone's food."

They watched her leave the restaurant. Castiel spoke first. "I believe passports might be a touchy subject for her, Sam."

"Maybe she should have just gone to bed last night" Sam muttered. The waitress came by and Dean handed her the bills that were on the table.

"We all have our shit that we're dealing with, Sammy" Dean said. He glanced at the front of the restaurant, where the front windows were. People were starting to walk around, but he didn't like the look of two men that passed. In fact, his gut sank a little and his lip twitched. Dean put one last bite of food in his mouth, leaving almost a full quarter of waffle on his plate. "I'll be right back."

"Dean!" Sam called after him. He shook his head and went back to his food. Dean left the restaurant, following the two men.

"Let him be" Castiel said sipping his tea. "Sometimes Dean is remarkably wise about personal matters."

Sam laughed and worked on his food.

Outside, Dean looked for the two men that he had seen. They had been in dark clothing. He scanned the few people out walking around. He didn't see Holly either.

"Dammit" Dean cursed to himself. He stopped at a narrow one-way road that looked more like an alley. It looked still and quiet. _That's what they like_ , Dean thought to himself. He looked around one last time before heading down the road. It wound between the buildings and housed the only graffiti he had seen in Gryffburg, which was very little and only some unimaginative words. He didn't have his gun on him, but he could feel his knife pressed against his waist.

The road curved just enough that he couldn't see the main street and that's when he heard a slight scuffle. Dean reached for his knife and hurried to an alcove made up of a stack of boxes and a dumpster. A white van provided perfect cover.

Dean heard the sounds of a fight and barely slowed his paced when something heavy hit the van.

"Zicke!" A man spat out. He came around the van just in time to see the man hit the van with his fist, missing Holly as she slid away from his fist. Sticking out from the pile of boxes were the legs of the other man.

"Hey" Dean said as the man grabbed Holly by her jacket collar. He was ready with knife in hand. The man turned to look at him with black eyes. "Leave her alone, asshat."

Holly lashed out with a fist, but the man was solid and barely moved when her fist collided with his face. He turned back to her with black eyes and a grim grin. He was too close for Holly to move her legs actionably. He pulled his fist bac-They all tumbled over as Dean tackled both of them. The demon lost his grip on Holly and turned to fight off the hunter.

"I said" Dean grunted as he vied for a more dominant position over the demon. "Leave her alone!"

He plunged his knife into the demon's chest. The look of shock on the faces of demons never ceased to be satisfying to him. Holly picked herself up from between the men and the van. She went over to the other fallen demon and retrieved her own blade.

"Holly? You okay?" Dean asked. He stood up a little too gracefully and tucked his knife away. He saw her holding her own blade and helped her step over the men.

"Thanks" Holly said. She was staring down at the men, the demons. She tucked her knife away. Her ear was bleeding slightly, the skull earring had been crushed.

"What happened?" Dean asked. Holly grabbed Dean's hand and pulled him down the road towards an alley.

"I don't want people to see us" Holly told him. When they were safely away, Holly spoke. "They hustled me down this way. The tall one was fast. I don't know...one minute I was running, the next we were fighting behind the van."

"You're okay?" Dean asked. He looked at her ear again. "Your ear is cut a little."

"Gus?" Holly asked. She was met with silence. They started walking down the alley towards the main street. "I've never had them attack during daylight hours. Something is going on, Dean."

"You've been attacked before?" Dean asked. Holly gave him a look that made him raise his hands up. "Okay, okay. Dumb question."

"I can't believe I dropped my knife" Holly said under her breath. Dean stopped her.

"Hold on" Dean said. He fished through his pockets and finally pulled out a cleaning cloth for his sunglasses. He reached for her ear and Holly automatically moved away. "Just let me get your ear."

Holly nodded and held still as Dean undid her earring, or what was left of it, and cleaned the blood. When the skull broke, it had sliced the outer rim of her ear and had knicked her cheek.

"Well, you're cleaned up" Dean said. He gave her a smile. "As your current doctor, I prescribe never going anywhere alone until we get this shit figured out."

"I'll keep that in mind, Doctor Dean" Holly replied. "Thanks."

"How does that affect Gus?" Dean asked. They started back down the alley, heading for the restaurant.

"He gets sent to the ether" Holly said with a gesture to the air around them.

"The ether?" Dean asked.

"Yeah" Holly replied. "You know...the void or air or whatever. I get home and he's there. It's like he gets sent to wherever we're staying." They made it to the main street. "He's non-corporeal, so I don't think it hurts him."

"Dean!" Castiel called out. Castiel and Sam were standing outside of the restaurant. Dean and Holly hurried over to them.

"Where were you?" Sam asked.

"Just walking around" Holly said quickly before Dean made a sound.

Dean looked at the others and agreed. "Yep, just walking around." It was almost a challenge for them to disagree. "What's the game plan for the morning, Holly?"

"Let's head back and take a drive" Holly said. She didn't give them a chance to disagree. She just started walking. Sam and Castiel looked at Dean who raised his hands and shrugged.

"I feel like we missed something" Castiel said to Sam. They watched Dean hurry to catch up with Holly.

* * *

An hour later, the five were packed into Holly's small blue compact car. Holly had shown them the main roads of Gryffburg, stopping for coffee to-go, and they were now heading out to a nearby pond. Holly had put in another skull earring and had brought along a small cat skull. Gus had insisted.

"Spiegelteich has been used by Saxer on seven occasions" Gus told his guests. He hovered in the cat skull as Holly drove along the narrow, winding forest roads. "From what we could determine, looking at the ritual areas after he was gone, it was mundane ritual work."

"What do you mean 'mundane'?" Sam asked. He sat in the front seat, having claimed a need for extra leg room.

"He tries his hand at a little witchcraft" Gus replied. "Put a hex on this person, make those people irresistible to each other...you know...basic mundane stuff."

"Why do we need to see Schmegel-whatever?" Dean asked.

"Spiegelteich" Gus corrected. "It seems to be an important place to Saxer, so we keep an eye on it."

Holly sped up a little. The forest was growing denser. "Tell them about that thing he conjured that one time."

"Oh yes!" Gus said excitedly. "We once observed Saxer conjuring up this black beast of some kind with tentacles. There was this great swirling vortex that the tentacles extended from and we watched him slice-Holly? Are you aware that there is a black vehicle trying to catch up to us?"

"Yes" Holly replied. Her car was desperately unsuitable for a car chase, especially on the winding forest road. Her passengers all looked behind them. A sleek black car was gaining on them.

"You're not going to out do them in this shit bucket" Dean said. He leaned forward so he could talk more directly to Holly. "How well do you know this road?"

"I'm kind of familiar with it" Holly replied. She slowed to enter a curve and sped up on her way out of it.

"If there's a spot to pull over, do it" Dean told her. "We all head for the forest. They can't drive through trees. Just make sure there's some distance between us and them so we get a minute or two."

"I'm trying" Holly said. She glanced over at Sam. "Make sure Gus gets out."

They went another mile or two before an opportunity presented itself. Holly was sure that the little blue car nearly went on two wheels when she pulled off and braked hard. The group left the vehicle as quickly as they could, fleeing for the trees. The trees just off the road were on a slight downward slope and the ground was just uneven enough to be worrisome of roots and rocks.

The black car screeched to a halt and pulled over. Two men in dark clothes got out and ran for the trees. Dean grabbed Holly and pulled her behind a giant twisted yew tree.

"Shhh" Dean hissed in her ear. The others had all found trees to hide behind. He carefully peeked around the tree and saw the two men slowly making their way through the trees with handguns out. He move back behind the tree, staying within close proximity to Holly. He leaned in close, so he could speak into her ear. "Good thing I brought back up this time."

"What do you mean?" Holly asked. Dean reached under his coat and pulled out a handgun. "Dean."

"I got this, sweetheart" Dean told her. He peeked around the tree again and immediately caught the eye of one the men. Shots fired and hit the tree. Dean crouched down a little and moved. He ran for the cover of another thick-trunked tree and fired a few rounds. Holly waited until the gunfire stopped before she risked a peek. Dean was safe behind a tree and the one man was dead. The other man was hurrying over to his friend. She watched as Castiel suddenly appeared beside the second man and placed his hand on the man's forehead. A black mass erupted from the man as he collapsed.

"It's safe" Castiel announced. Holly stepped out from behind the large yew and came out to look at the two men on the ground.

"Demons" Holly said. Sam knelt between the men and started going through their pockets. Gus hovered around Sam. Holly's stomach twisted into a knot.

"Anything?" Dean asked. Sam pulled out a folded piece of paper from an inner jacket pocket of the one shot by Dean. It was written in German.

"It's in German" Sam said handing it to Castiel. The angel looked at the piece of paper. It was a bill of lading.

"I think I'm going to be sick" Holly said. The knot in her stomach was somewhere between a vicious cramp and terrible nausea.

"Kill enough demons and you get used to it" Dean told her.

Something struck Holly as definitely not being right. "Gus?"

Holly was suddenly yanked backwards, as if someone had a rope around her waist. She screamed as she was violently drawn through the forest by an invisible force. She collided with a young larch and went limp, still traveling backwards like a rag doll.

"What the fuck was that?!" Dean yelled. He had wanted to shoot something, but there wasn't anything attached to Holly and she had moved too quickly. Gus had called out for his human, but she had moved too fast for him to keep up. All they could do was watch as Holly disappeared into the thick forest screaming, and when that stopped dread washed over them.


	4. Chapter 4 - Crossing A Field

**Author Note: Hoping you guys are liking this! Last week I was swamped with a Nov. 3rd Halloween Ball and my dog got hit by a car - he's going to be okay, but he has stitches and staples. Anyway, early with this chapter.**

* * *

Holly came to in a pasture. Her head was swimming and the light of the setting sun was torture to her eyes. Holly's body ached, as if she had been beaten with a baseball bat. She tried to push herself to a sitting position and hissed. She looked at her side, finding a sizeable splintered branch piercing her side. Her jeans were stained with blood. She touched a lumpy tear at her thigh and was aghast to find a stone embedded into her flesh. Her breath caught in her throat. Pain and fear seemed to be her current world.

She stood up, an effort of adrenaline and fear, and tried focusing on her surroundings. It was getting dark fast, but she could make out a road in the distance. Her steps were shaky and stumbling at best, but after a few minutes she was on the hard plane of the road. Where was she? Where was Gus? Her thoughts felt like they were in pudding as she slowly moved down the road.

After what seemed like forever to her, she found a tree to lean against momentarily. Tears streaked her face with the dirt from her trip through the forest. Her hands shook and she felt cold. She took a few painful deep breaths, telling herself that it would be okay once she made it to the chalet or to a town or anywhere but wherever she was.

Step by step, she trudged down the lonesome country road.

* * *

In the mansion on the hill, tucked away mostly by the forest, Leon Saxer began a long night of attempting to disable the wards of the chest. He had sent men after Bennett and her hunters, but they had surprisingly been able to handle themselves. Saxer had been sure that, if alone, Holly wouldn't have been able to handle the men he sent after her.

It had been his hand that conjured up the invisible torrent that had sent Holly on a trip through the forest and into a pasture. He needed a distraction for those meddling Americans. It was quite unfortunate that he lost four demons to them, but he had turned all that over to Amelia. She practically salvated at the opportunity to hunt who she called "the notorious Winchesters".

Saxer was set up in front of the chest. A chalk circle around the chest led via chalk path to the circle that Saxer was kneeling in. Two giant quartz crystals were placed on either side of the chest and several candles were lit. Saxer raised his arms, revealing the illah nuftah. He closed his eyes and focused on his intent, then began reciting a long incantation. He stopped briefly to glance at the book where the incantation was noted. He followed his notations in the margins and prepared himself for what was upcoming.

Saxer recited more of the incantation, not stopping to slice his hand open with a silver blade or to scrawl ancient symbols within the circle. His eyes darted back and forth between the crystals when they began to glow, but he continued as the energy built up in the cold dimly-lit room. The blood pooled on the floor from his hand and slowly began moving along the chalk line towards the chest.

Finally, the words stopped and he waited. The chest absorbed the blood. Saxer crossed his hands and began a chant in an old variation of Hebrew for the chest to open. He felt the power surging, filling the room. His chant grew louder until he felt, what he perceived to be, the right amount of power. In a grand gesture, he separated his hands and shouted the chant.

The chest unlocked with click.

"About time" Leon said to himself.

* * *

Dean had all of his weapons out on the kitchen counter in the chalet and a map of the area was spread up under them. Sam was in the living room on his laptop. The front door opened and closed.

"We have not been able to locate her" Castiel reported. Gus was hovering at his shoulder in his larger bear skull. Gus had grown quiet. "How are things going here?"

"I've been monitoring local news and police reports" Sam said. "Nothing yet."

"I'm going out to look for her" Dean said. Castiel looked at the map.

"We scoured this area" Castiel said pointing to a sizeable area of the forest where they had been driving. "She's not there. We have no idea where she was taken."

"Well I'm not letting this _Evil Dead_ in the woods shit get the best of us" Dean said loading a pistol and tucking it away. Dean pointed to a road. "I'm going to check out this area." He grabbed a pencil and drew a line from the area where they were driving to the hill that Holly had just briefly mentioned when she had planned their day, the hill where Saxer lived. "It's one of the only roads that crosses between Saxer's place and the forest. I'm going to follow that road and see if I can find her."

"Doesn't she have a phone? Can't we track that?" Castiel asked. Sam came in from the other room and leaned against the wall.

"I haven't been able to get a trace on it. It must be dead or busted or something" Sam replied. "What if she's at Saxer's place? What if he somehow managed to ghost-pull her there?"

"That's a great possibility" Castiel replied. "She certainly seemed to be pulled towards a destination. I don't believe _ghost-pull_ is an actual term though."

Dean glared at him, silently telling him to shut up. "I'll take the car."

"What's out in this area?" Castiel asked pointing to the space between the road Dean wanted to drive and the forest.

"Fields, crops, farmland...stuff like that" Dean replied. He shoved a few weapons into a stiff canvas bag that he had found. He started going through the cabinets until he found a large flashlight. "I'm going to find her and bring her back." He grabbed the car keys from the table and slung the bag over his shoulder. "Don't wait up."

"I can go with you" Sam said reaching for his coat.

"Stay here" Dean said. He looked at Castiel and Gus. "Someone has to monitor the police and stuff."

Dean left without another word and before anyone could say anything else. The evening air was crisp. He could hear and smell the festival going on in Gryffburg in the far distance. A frown tugged at his mouth. They should all be down there having a beer and pretzels and schnitzel or whatever. He opened the door of the cramped blue car and tossed his bag onto the passenger seat. He adjusted the seat.

"Switzerland can suck it" Dean muttered to himself as he started the car. He pulled out of the driveway and headed for the country road that he had seen on the map.

* * *

Leon's fingers caressed the short sword. It was heavier than he had expected it to be. He already had the sacred seal of Andras, blessed by a dark priest with the blood of a virgin. The sword of Andras had been much harder to find. Leon was sure that it was only due to the fact that he wore the illah nuftah that he had been able to channel the power needed to open the chest.

Leon hauled the sword through his mansion, to his office. It felt like he was dragging a body. He shut his office door and placed the sword in the middle of his rug. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and dug it out.

"Do you have her?" Leon asked.

"I don't know where she is" Amelia told him. "Don't worry though. She couldn't have gotten far. Her trip through the forest must have done some damage."

"The chest is open" Leon growled into the phone. "Find her. NOW!"

"I'll bring her back with me" Amelia said. She was looking at the dark pasture where she was sure Holly should have been. The lack of streetlights made it excessively difficult to see much of anything. Amelia hung up with Leon and looked at the two men she had brought with her. "Any sign of her?"

"No" One of them shouted from the pasture.

"Shit" Amelia grumbled. She crossed the pasture fence and went to work.

* * *

"Holly!" Dean yelled. He had pulled off the road next to a locked pasture gate. He had the large flashlight in hand and was scanning the field for the dark-haired woman. He hopped the gate and started scouring the field. He stopped when he felt something squishy under his boot. He looked down and found a pile of poo. "Fuck."

Dean stepped back over to the gate for balance and started trying to scrape poop from his boot sole. Dean bent over and picked up a pencil-size stick to start digging out between the tread. His flashlight settled, briefly, on the asphalt of the road when he looked up. There were wet spots on the road that looked a little like partial shoe imprints. Dean looked around and then hopped back over the fence, forgetting about the poop on his boots. He went to the road and bent down to one of the spots. Blood.

"Holly" Dean said to himself. He followed the tracks across the road. He shone his light out at the next field over. The tracks ended beyond the other gate. There wasn't any sign of Holly. Dean pulled his phone out and dialed Castiel.

"Did you find her?" Castiel asked.

"I think she's hurt and crossing a field" Dean told him. He glanced around, going over a mental map of the area. "I think-yeah, I think she's heading back to the chalet, but she's hurt. There's a trail of blood."

"I'm here, Dean" Castiel said from the car. He crossed the street, looking at where Dean directed the flashlight. Dean put his phone away.

"I think that way" Dean said pointing to the field. "Is the way back to the chalet."

"Why go across the fields? Wouldn't the roads be easier?" Castiel asked.

"If she's starting to leave bloody shoe prints, she might not be thinking straight" Dean told him.

"I'll take the field" Castiel said. "Get back to the chalet and go out the back door. If you're right, then that's where she would most likely end up."

"I'll meet you there, man" Dean said. "Be careful."

Castiel jumped the gate to the next pasture and disappeared into the darkness. Dean squeezed himself back into the small blue car and got back on the road, heading for the chalet. It felt just in time too. In the rear view mirror, he saw headlights of a vehicle clear the bend that was about a quarter mile back. The last thing he wanted was to be tattled on for trespassing in a foreign country.

Despite the anxiety of possibly having found Holly, Dean kept the vehicle to the speed limit. It seemed like everything in Gryffburg was mostly close together. He took the road that led him to the chalet and it seemed like it only took minutes to get there. Dean was sure it took longer, but didn't care. He grabbed his bag and ran inside.

"Dean?" Sam called out. Dean ran through the kitchen and out the back door, dropping his bag along the way and hanging onto the flashlight.

"Holly?" Dean called out. He hurried down the deck steps and clicked the flashlight on. "Holly!"

"Dean!" Castiel called out. Dean scanned his light to his left and found the angel carrying a limp body. "She is greatly hurt."

"Get her inside, Cas" Dean ordered. He swallowed when he saw the wood through her midsection.

"Is that her?" Sam asked from the doorway. Castiel carried her past Sam and over to the kitchen table. Sam and Dean were right behind him and Gus hovered in a panic.

"Call a doctor!" Gus ordered. Holly was covered in blood and dirt.

"Cas, can you heal her?" Sam asked. Castiel held her hand and examined her face.

"Maybe" Castiel replied. With his grace not fully restored, he wasn't sure how well he could heal her. "I think I can heal the impalement, but I don't know how else she is hurt."

"What do you need us to do?" Dean asked. Castiel looked over at the hunters with a weary look.

"Hold her down" Castiel replied. "This is going to be painful for her."

Dean braced himself at her lower half and legs. Sam was ready at her shoulders. Castiel grabbed the piece of wood and pulled it out as steadily as he could. With the movement of the wood Holly's eyes flew open and she began to scream. Her body automatically protested to the pain leaving Sam and Dean to attempt to control her limbs and movement.

As soon as Castiel pulled the branch from her side, he placed his hands over both sides of the bloody wound. His bottom hand glowed for a moment.

"Put her on her back" Castiel ordered. He pulled his bottom hand away and just focused on her front. Holly writhed around and cried out as splinters and a piece of her shirt were pulled from the wound. Castiel pressed his hand against the wound tightly and allowed the healing to begin. It took longer than he liked, but she was soon healed.

"You're going to be fine" Sam whispered to Holly.

"Cas, her leg" Dean said with a nod towards her bleeding upper leg. Castiel moved quickly to look at her leg.

"She has rocks embedded in her thigh" Castiel told them. He started by removing the rocks. The large one came out with a wet pop. It was followed by smaller gravel-size rocks and flowing blood.

"Can't you work a little faster?" Dean asked. Holly was twitching and jerking. The angel ignored him and took the time he needed for healing her leg.

Gus moved to hover by her face. "Holly? Holly, can you hear me?"

"Gus" Holly whispered through tears.

"Let's get her upstairs and cleaned up" Dean said. He scooped her up carried her up the stairs with Gus following.


	5. Chapter 5 - Andras Rising

**Author's Note: Here's a big chapter for you guys. Hope you like it. I'm sure someone is looking forward to it. Comment!**

* * *

Dean took Holly to her room and laid her on her bed. She was still hurting, that much was obvious. She was pale, almost ashen. Gus moved over to hover near her face. "Holly? You're going to be okay now."

Dean started pulling Holly's boots off of her. A boot knife fell with a thud to the floor. He left it and reached for her bloody, torn flannel shirt and light jacket. He glanced at her and saw her head roll to the side with closed eyes. "Hey Holly! Holly!" Dean reached over and tapped her face. "Gotta stay awake, sweetheart."

"You think it's a concussion?" Gus asked. Holly's eyes opened and she was watching Dean.

"Oh yeah" Dean replied. He unbuttoned her shirt front, then unbuttoned her shirt cuffs so they wouldn't catch. He looked at Holly and gave her a smile. "I'm just going to put you in clean clothes, okay?"

Holly made a noise and silent tears slid from the corners of her eyes. Dean was careful to slip her right arm out of her shirt and jacket at the same time; he stopped when it came to the left. Dean made a face when he noticed her left arm. It was definitely broken, but at least it wasn't poking through the skin. He was extra careful, but that didn't stop Holly from crying out.

"Gus, would you let Cas know that Holly has a majorly broken arm?" Dean asked. Gus looked at Holly before leaving the bedroom. Under other circumstances, Dean would have appreciated the black bra trimmed in lace, instead he tried a little humor. "You know, if you wanted me to get you undressed, all you had to do was ask."

Holly moved her good arm up and placed her hand over her face to try to hide her crying. Dean quieted and worked on getting her jeans off. Just as he was slow and careful with her shirt, he was with her jeans. Her legs weren't broken, but they were covered in dark bruises and blood. Her torso and arms were bruised. Whatever took her for a drag apparently hadn't cared in the slightest about her. Her bloody, torn jeans were tossed aside with her shirt.

"So what happened out there?" Dean asked. He started going through her drawers until he found her sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt.

"Pulled through the forest" Holly whispered. Dean got the sweatpants over her feet and worked them up to her waist. "I don't remember most of it."

"Yeah, I think you took a pretty good hit to the head" Dean said.

"Dean" Castiel said from the doorway. He came in with Gus. "I was told that Holly has a broken arm."

"Left arm" Dean said. Castiel looked down at Holly, then focused on her arm. Castiel let his fingers brush her arm until he found the break. He focused and his hands glowed. Dean sat on the bed and smiled down at Holly. "You're in good hands with Cas. He pulled my ass out of Hell."

"Saves your butt a lot?" Holly asked weakly. Her eyes were glazed over and she was simply looking in Dean's general direction.

"I was talking about actual Hell, but yeah, he's save my butt more times than I'd like to admit" Dean told her. Dean looked at Castiel; his friend looked tired, but that was probably from an exertion of his power. The angel released Holly's arm and stood up.

"The bones are fixed" Castiel said. He looked down at Holly and smiled.

Dean watched as the angel's eyes glanced down to Holly's bra. "Cas!" Castiel looked up at Dean with a tilt to his head. "C'mon man. Be cool."

"I've been told that black underwear means-" Castiel said.

"OKAY!" Dean interrupted. He jerked a thumb to the door. "Maybe just go let Sam know that she's okay. I'm going to help Holly get a shirt on and maybe find a glass of water."

"I am glad that we found you" Castiel told Holly as he left the room.

"Are you thirsty? I can arrange for a glass of water from the tall Winchester" Gus said to Holly. She nodded and Gus hurried out to find Sam.

"Have you ever considered giving that guy an actual body?" Dean asked. He slipped the shirt over Holly's head. She moved her good arm through one arm hole and let Dean help her with the other arm, despite it being fixed. It throbbed and ached.

"I don't know of any daimons ever having human form" Holly said softly. "Help me sit up." Dean moved to hold one of her hands while he wrapped an arm around her back to help her up. Holly hissed at the pain from her side and quickly moved a hand to her ribs. "My ribs."

Dean took advantage of his place next to Holly and reached up to touch her head. He could feel a sizeable lump under her hair. "Looks like you have a good lump going on. I should find you some painkillers."

"If you give me a minute, I'll be downstairs" Holly muttered. She moved to stand up and doubled over, dry heaving. Dean was next to her, holding her hair back.

"Whoa there killer" Dean said. He ushered her slowly to the bathroom. "Definitely a concussion. I haven't seen one this bad since Sam got his ass kicked by a hipster werewolf outside of Denver."

In the bathroom, Dean set Holly on the plush rug that was outside the tub and in front of the toilet. She was on her knees, still dry heaving over the toilet. Dean went through the medicine cabinet and found a bottle of advil. Holly's dry heaves were subsiding.

"I don't remember if it's okay to take advil when you have a concussion" Dean said out loud. Would he take them in her condition? Yes. Simple. He unscrewed the cap and took two tablets out. "I think you'll be okay with two of these, but you can't be dry heaving or it's just going to come back up."

"Here's a glass of water" Sam said from the doorway. Sam's face showed his worry. "Everything okay?"

"She took a good hit to the head. She's covered in bruises and blood, probably a fractured rib" Dean replied. Holly took as deep of a breath as she could manage with her ribs and moved away from the toilet.

"Holly, do you think you could stomach some toast or something?" Sam asked. "It would help with the advil."

"Sure" Holly replied. Sam went to busy himself with making toast or something that would help her stomach. Dean took a wash rag from a bathroom shelf and soaked it in warm water. He knelt down and started cleaning her face.

"You're pretty dirty" Dean told her. He chuckled at the double entendre and let her take the rag from him.

"I'm surprised you have any sort of bedside manner" Holly said. She tried standing up and was relieved when Dean helped pull her to her feet.

"You think I'm some sort of hard ass?" Dean asked.

Holly gave him a small smile. Dean took the rag and slowly wiped at the dirt on her neck. She looked at herself in the mirror. "I look terrible."

"You could crawl out of a swamp and still look good" Dean told her. He gave her a big smile. She took some stumbling steps past him, almost out of the bathroom. "It's a compliment." Dean watched her stop and brace herself with a hand on the wall. He moved to help her out. "You can't make it downstairs by yourself, but good try-"

There was a pounding on the front door that seemed to echo through the chalet. Holly froze. The pounding came again. Holly looked at the exterior walls. They shimmered just the tiniest bit.

"Demons" Holly whispered to Dean. "They can't break my wards."

"Sam!" Dean shouted. "Demons!"

Downstairs, Sam had a handgun pulled from the bag Dean had dropped and was trying to glance out the front window without being notice. Castiel was at the back door with his angel blade ready.

"Cas" Sam called out. "They can't come up to the door."

"They appear to not be allowed on the deck either" Castiel replied. "I have two back here."

"I just have one" Sam told him. Sam took a deep breath and opened the door. He was ready with his gun. "Excuse me, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave, lady."

Amelia looked ready for a fight. She dragged her fingers down the invisible barrier. Her red hair and red lipstick were a burst of color in the dark of night. "Winchester."

"I'm only going to tell you one more time. Get lost" Sam said firmly.

"Just give us Holly" Amelia negotiated. "You'll never see us again."

"I'm not really in the habit of handing people over to demons" Sam replied. "Why do you want her?"

"I'm not really in the habit of sharing plans with hunters" Amelia answered. She hit the barrier and stepped back.

"Get going" Sam ordered. Amelia smiled at the younger Winchester and stepped back to sit on the hood of Holly's blue car.

"Which one are you?" Amelia asked. She looked like she could don sunglasses and be lounging alongside a pool.

"Sam" Sam told her. Amelia gave him a big smile.

"Oooh, Sam" Amelia said. "I've heard about you." Sam looked around, expecting others to jump out or something to happen. "You share a special bond with some pretty important people."

"What's it to you?" Sam asked. Behind Sam, through the open door, Dean appeared with a gun in hand. She looked him over, appreciating his form.

"You must be the other Winchester" Amelia said. "I'm Amelia."

She held her hand out for a shake, but neither brother passed the barrier. Dean looked around, taking in the surrounding driveway. It seemed to be clear.

"Who's this?" Dean asked.

"She wants Holly" Sam told him.

"You work for Saxer?" Dean asked. Amelia moved to stand in front of the blue car.

"You have some blood on your shirt, Dean" Amelia said indicating a bloody spot on his stomach. She looked between the brothers. "How's dear Holly doing? That's not her blood, is it?"

"She's better than you're about to be" Dean grumbled. Amelia put her hands up. They heard the back door of the chalet open and close. Sam risked a look behind him and saw Castiel wiping off his angel blade.

"The backdoor demons are disposed of" Castiel announced from the front door. Amelia's face turned to a glaring frown.

"Cas, this here is Amelia" Dean said. "You know her?"

"No" Castiel replied. He walked over to stand next to his friends. "We heard about raising Andras."

"Is that so?" Amelia said.

"You won't succeed" Castiel told her. Amelia's smile returned and she slowly backed up towards her car.

"I'll see you three again" Amelia said opening the driver-side door. She looked over at Sam. "Call me, Sam. I wouldn't mind riding that ride."

They waited for her to drive off. She seemed to take her time. As soon as she was definitely gone, Dean turned to his brother. "Were you flirting with her?"

"What? No!" Sam said. "I was about ready to put her down."

Dean walked back into the chalet shaking his head and muttering something about his brother and demons. Castiel turned and looked at Sam. "You really shouldn't flirt with them, Sam."

"I didn't do any flirting" Sam rebuked. Castiel was already heading for the cottage. Sam followed and made sure the door was locked.

"The warding on this chalet is quite strong" Castiel said. He followed Dean into the living room. "Holly is quite powerful if she can do this, but it tastes wrong."

"Tastes wrong?" Dean repeated. "You can taste wardings?"

"It makes my mouth tingle" Castiel told him. "It's like raw power." Castiel smiled. "I don't taste it often with humans."

Dean headed for the stairs. "Yeah, well glad she amuses you."

"You left her upstairs?" Castiel asked. Dean just headed up to her room. Holly's bedroom door was open.

"We took care of things" Dean announced. Gus was hovering over a book that was on the bed next to Holly.

"I've been watching her" Gus said. Dean went over to check on her. "I thought Castiel could fix all of her wounds."

"He doesn't have all of his grace" Dean said. Holly was awake, but she was just laying there. Her face clearly told Dean that she was not amused and that she was exhausted. "Want to come watch a movie or something?"

"No" Holly said. A page in the open book turned and Dean glanced at the floating skull.

"I'll watch her through the night" Gus told him. "Her aura took a hit, but she's on the mend."

"You can see her aura?" Dean asked. "Can you see mine?"

"Yes" Gus replied. Dean waited for more from the skull.

"And?" Dean prompted.

"And what?" Gus asked. "You're fine, aside from being a bit of a dick."

Dean stood up and looked down at Holly, who was trying to stifle a smile. "You might want to reconsider your nurse." Dean stood up straight and narrowed his eyes at the skull. "I'm taking the high road here. Gus, you can suck it."

As soon as Dean was gone Gus spoke. "If you want Nurse Winchester back, let me know." Holly cracked a smile and chuckled. "Music?"

"Yes" Holly said.

* * *

"Lord Andras" Leon said in a commanding tone while staring into a black full length mirror. "My lord, we have gathered the consecrated seal and your great sword. The promised one has evaded us, but we know where she resides."

The mirror shimmered and looked as if it held black water. Leon Saxer stood before the mirror attired in his suit and robe with his hands bleeding onto a sigil of Andras. Leon would have stroked his pointed beard, but that would have broken his focus.

"Your duties" An angelic voice finally said before an image appeared in the black mirror. "Were to bring me all three items."

"Yes, my lord" Leon replied. "I was hoping that you would accept the two and perhaps assist in her capture. She has surrounded herself with protectors that have killed several of my men."

The handsome man in the mirror, Andras, narrowed his dark eyes at Leon Saxer. Andras could easily be considered beautiful in a pre-Raphaelite manner with long wavy auburn brown hair, aquiline nose, and a slight wildness to his face. Leon Saxer was sure that Andras would have been a revered model for Rosetti or Courbet.

"Who are her protectors?" Andras asked with a twitch to his lip.

"Two men named Winchester" Leon said. Andras raised an eyebrow. "And the angel Castiel."

"I've heard of them" Andras replied. Andras looked amused and a smile slowly spread across his face. "To kill the Winchesters, what an amusing thought." Leon watched as Andras raised a groomed hand and pushed against the glass until he began walking through. "I am quite amused, Saxer."

* * *

Midnight dragged around in the chalet. Sam had gone to bed an hour earlier, leaving Dean and Castiel to watch television and browse through Holly's collection of books. Dean had a pile of books near his feet, propped up on a coffee table, and a few empty beer bottles next to them. Castiel had changed into the sweatpants and t-shirt that Holly had provided for him the night before.

"You should change into something comfortable, Dean" Castiel said. They had a German cop show on. It was...dry.

"I might just go hit the hay pretty soon" Dean replied. He had taken his boots off, but that was it. His shirt was still stained with Holly's blood. Castiel was sitting cross-legged on the couch while hugging a pillow to himself. He looked over at Dean.

"You look tense, Dean" Castiel remarked. "There's a hot tub on the deck. Holly showed me last night." Dean looked over at his friend. "We could use it."

"I didn't bring trunks" Dean said. The thought of a hot tub sounded nice.

"We can be naked in a hot tub" Castiel replied. "It's done all the time."

"Dude, I am not getting naked with you in a hot tub unless there is a damn good reason" Dean replied.

"It would be relaxing" Castiel remarked with a calm shrug. The stairs creaked and they cast glances to their right. Holly was coming down the stairs in a slightly disjointed manner with Gus' skull resting on her head.

"Hey, Holly" Dean said. "Feeling better?"

"That's not Holly" Castiel said standing up. Dean followed Castiel's lead and stood up. Holly came down the stairs looking almost like a marionette and took a seat on the couch. She looked over at Dean and Castiel. Her eyes were white.

"Good evening, boys" Gus' voice greeted from Holly's mouth. "Just moving Holly down here. She's doing better, but I need you to watch her for a few hours."

"Did she allow you to drive?" Dean asked. One hand was clenched into a fist.

"Of course" Gus replied. Holly slumped back into the couch and the skull floated up the stairs.

"Holly?" Castiel asked. Dean moved to sit next to her, making sure she was okay. Holly came to as if she was waking up from a dream.

"Hey" Holly said with a smile.

"Hey" Dean replied. "Did you give that goon permission to bring you down here?"

"Yeah. He insisted that I not be alone" Holly said. Dean looked over at Castiel. He was met with a concerned look. "Did he scare you?"

"We were concerned for your safety" Castiel told her.

"He wouldn't have left if you weren't here and awake" Holly said. "But at midnight he leaves for a little bit."

"What do you mean, he leaves for a little bit?" Dean asked. Holly shrugged.

"I don't know" Holly said. "Maybe he goes around the world. Maybe he terrorizes the local squirrels. He just gets a little freedom, then he comes back."

"I have a multitude of questions" Castiel said. Holly stood up and stretched. It was a slow rising with obvious aches and pains, but it was done without assistance.

"You guys have my books all askew" Holly said picking up the stack of books that Dean had left piled on the coffee table.

"I was going to get those" Dean said. Holly moved over to the bookcase and started putting the books away.

"Yeah, right" Holly replied. She held up an old, partially rotted leather bound book and turned to the two on the couch. "You were looking through the 'Formicarius'? Could you even read it?"

"I...uh…" Dean muttered.

Holly shelved the book with a silent 'hmph'. "It's a $46,000 book. Next time, maybe keep the beer away from it."

"Hey, Sweetheart" Dean snapped. "We've been trying to figure out this shit storm that you got us into. I think your nerdy book there can take five minutes off the shelf."

Dean was met with narrowed eyes sporting a deadly glare. The short, dark-haired woman stepped over to him.

"She is not happy, Dean" Castiel whispered to his friend. Dean kept quiet and returned the glare.

"Okhat aet d'eanaa" Holly finally said. She held her left hand out towards the stairs. Castiel watched a circular thing move through the air, from upstairs, into Holly's waiting hand. Holly held up the round disc. "Gus and I finished this up. We've been working on it for a few weeks. It's a-"

"The Ancile!" Castiel gasped. Holly's head bobbed to the side.

"Well, a copy of it" Holly replied. "It works though."

"What is it?" Dean asked. Castiel moved to get a better look at the hand mirror-sized seal. The seal was nestled inside a metal holder with narrow loops for a strap.

"The ancile was delivered to Earth from Heaven during the reign of King Pompilius" Castiel said. "Rome became the strongest nation in those days, until the ancile was taken back. How do you know it works?"

Holly held the narrow loops and whispered a word that Dean couldn't quite make out. A golden glow emitted from the seal in a shape that resembled the body of a cello. Castiel reached out and touched the celestial shield. Dean tentatively reached out and felt the shield. It was firm and felt like it was slightly buzzing against his hand.

"Andras can't break through this shield" Holly stated. She lowered the seal and the shield was gone.

"So what?" Dean scoffed. "You finished working on a fucking shield and now you're all better?"

"It gave me focu-" Holly began.

"You can stay down here with Cas" Dean grumbled. "I'm done with tonight and fucking shields-" Dean stepped past Holly, heading for the stairs. "-and $46,000 books and everything else."

"Dean" Holly called after him. Dean raised a hand and kept heading for his room. When his door closed, Holly looked at Castiel.

"He's been concerned about you" Castiel told her. Holly lowered herself to sit on the couch.

"I'm not magically fixed" Holly sighed. "Everything still hurts."

"I am sorry about that" Castiel said. "If I had all of my grace, I could stop the pain."

"It's fine, Castiel" Holly told him. "Sometimes pain is good."

Castiel's mouth tightened for a moment. The cop show filled the living room with a police siren at low volume. "Could I interest you in bathing naked in the hot tub?"

* * *

In the early morning, sitting at an outdoor bistro table with a doppio in a small espresso cup in hand and a small bottle of water in front of him, Andras watched Holly and her angel enter a pastry shop. Castiel hovered protectively close to the woman. Perhaps it was due to the stiffness she seemed to have in her walk. Andras smiled and drank his doppio in two sips. He enjoyed the bitter double espresso and the resulting sweetness that lingered on his tongue.

"That would be them, sir" A demon said from behind a newspaper. From their position, they could see a little movement in the pastry shop. Andras opened his water and waited, watching.

When they left the pastry shop, the angel was carrying a paper bag for the woman. She glanced over in the direction of the café and Andras gave her a big smile. She smiled back, automatically, then resumed her walk with the angel.

"She is lovely" Andras whispered. "She will be delicious when I devour her."

The demon next to Andras folded his newspaper and kept an eye on the two walking away from them. The angel was in a trenchcoat and the woman in a peacoat. To the demon, they were just targets. Andras stood and waited, still watching. Holly glanced back over her shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" Castiel asked. Holly's mouth was tight and she seemed concerned.

"I just feel like...I don't know" Holly told him. She shivered slightly. "I just feel like I'm being watched."

"Well there were the two men sitting outside at the cafe" Castiel said.

"No, like...watched by something dark" Holly said. "You didn't get any dark vibes?"

"No 'dark vibes'" Castiel replied. Holly turned her collar up and shoved her hands into her coat. The early morning was cool and damp making Holly wish she would have grabbed a scarf or a hat. They walked as fast as Holly was comfortable with. She was moving faster as they headed back towards the chalet. The morning stiffness was working itself out.

"Cas, I need to ask you about something" Holly said as they left the main part of Gryffburg. "Dean thinks I should give Gus a form, a body. Is that a good idea? Has it ever been done with a daimon?"

"I honestly have not spent much time around daimons" Castiel replied after a moment of consideration. "If it isn't taxing on yourself, I would probably try it."

"Really?" Holly asked. They diverted from the road, walking up the slight slope of the driveway.

"He is protective of you and daimons are notorious for having a high potential of power" Castiel replied. "Extra help against Andras would benefit us." Before they reached the chalet door, Castiel reached out and stopped Holly. "Are you seriously considering doing this?"

"Yes" Holly replied.

"Just be careful" Castiel told her.


End file.
